


Swan's Hourglass

by LassLuna



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: CSSNS 2020, F/M, Legend of Zelda AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24711430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LassLuna/pseuds/LassLuna
Summary: Emma Swan had a mission. Find a place to start New Hyrule, her kingdom apparently. It was her mission as Princess or Savior or whatever. It’s going terribly if she’s honest. No one ever gave her Princess or Savior lessons growing up. She really has no idea how to be a Savior. She doesn’t even really want to in the first place.But when the Demon Ship kidnaps her son and she gets stranded on a strange island with only an old woman and peppy fairy for help, Emma will have to do what she has to do to rescue her son, even if that means putting a certain self-proclaimed pirate captain in his place
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 15
Kudos: 22
Collections: Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I am SO EXCITED to start posting this. This has been in my documents for YEARS and I can’t wait to share what it is become. Thank you SO much @cssns for giving me a reason to commit to writing this. Thank you @spartanguard for being a fabulous beta and making sense of this thing, it would not be what it is without your fabulous input. Thank you @eastwesthomeisbest for creating such an amazing image, I love it to pieces!!!!

“Our story begins not long ago; there was a young man, head to a band of lost boys, thieves of the kingdom. His name was Baelfire. Baelfire was cunning, smart and mysterious. They wanted to explore the unfamiliar land.

One day Baelfire met a young girl on her first adventure outside her parents’ home. She was young and curious and ready to make her own destiny.

After a series of strange events, the girl began traveling with the group as she’d become smitten with Baelfire. Through many adventures, they found old ruins, hoping to make off with treasure. Instead, however, light enveloped the girl, revealing that her lineage wasn’t just sheep farming as she once thought, but that it traced back to a line of legendary heroes known to their time as The Saviors. She was the lost princess prophesied to save her people from a terrible fate.

When her identity was revealed, a wicked witch appeared and carried the princess away from Baelfire as she knew that the Savior was destined to destroy her. Instead she sought to take her power for herself. She used her power to destroy the kingdom many years before.

Baelfire chased after the princess in order to rescue her. He crossed mountains and ocean, slayed terrible beasts in order to be reunited with his True Love. When he finally found her, the princess was not alone as she had been with child when she was taken and bore his son while in captivity.

They used their power to become true heros and slay the Wicked Witch once and for all, and the princess and her infant son were rescued at last. However, during the battle to rescue her, Baelfire sacrificed his life to ensure the safety of his family.

The princess decided to honor his memory and find a new land to restore her kingdom to what it once was, surrounded by her new family of Lost Boys…”

There is a loud sigh coming from a mop of dark hair.

“Come on, Henry? What did you think?” insists a voice. It’s the same voice as the one who told the story. He is tall and skinny, dressed in traditional sailor’s wear with hair a slight shade darker and freckles all over his face.

She always enjoys listening to her friend’s storytelling from a distance. 

“Boring,” came the reply, much to her amusement.

“What? How?” the story teller says again in surprise.

“Johnnn,” Henry groans. “You tell the same story every time,” he says in exasperation. “You don’t even  _ add  _ to it.” He looked up at her from the lower deck as she stood on an upper section watching him. “At least Mom  _ sometimes _ tells me of Dad’s adventures,” he insists, standing up from where he’d been sitting and stretching. “You were  _ there _ , shouldn’t you know more than Mom about this?” he asks skeptically. “Mom was captured when all the exciting stuff happened.”

She watched as the man looked up at her, exchanging a careful look with her. She keeps her gaze firm. 

It was a very direct,  _ don't you dare. _

“I’m forgetful,” John retorts to her son. 

“You’d forget years of your life?” Henry asks, yet again. “I still don’t buy that.” 

She could tell that Henry was starting to get around John’s story, as he always was. Ever since Henry was a toddler, he’d always been so curious. Now that he was growing up, he’d become desperate for more details, more information, more of anything interesting,  _ especially  _ details of his father.

_ Her kid was growing up so fast… _

“Henry,” she calls out, making him notice her for the first time. She stands overlooking the lower decks. “Aren’t you supposed to be on lookout?” she asks. “You know the Captain wouldn’t like it if her first mate is slacking on the job,” she teases. 

Henry’s eyes light up, all thoughts of the story gone from his head.

_ Well, not that fast.  _ She muses silently.

“Oh yeah!” he says excitedly, “We’re looking for the Demon Ship,” he reminds her, grabbing John’s hand and darting off towards the edge of the ship. She could hear him rambling about it from the other side of the vessel.

“You know Emma,” says a new voice. Emma had had a suspicion she had been listening too. “You’re going to have to tell him the truth eventually.” Emma didn’t look back at her.

“What I tell my son about his father is my business,” Emma reminds the Captain. “You promised me you’d honor that,” she reminds her. The last thing she needs is someone telling her how to raise her kid. 

“I just think that Henry’s a smart kid and will figure it out. Shouldn’t it come from you and not when Michael and John have conflicting stories?” she presses. Emma turns towards the brunette sea captain, looking her straight in the eyes. Captain Wendy Darling did not waver. 

“We’ve been over this a dozen times Captain,” Emma says as politely as possible. “I will protect Baelfire’s legacy, Henry’s hero until I see fit to tell him otherwise,” He’s her kid, and the last thing she needed was for him to dwell on the past; lord knew she dwelled on it enough.

“I just think—“ But Emma cuts her off.

“Bae’s already dead; what good will the truth do any of us?” she snaps. Wendy raises a brow.

“Maybe it would let your son see you less as a damsel and more as a hero, Savior,” Wendy replies with an almost whimsical sound at the word ‘Savior’ and it fills Emma with dread. “Maybe it would let you see yourself that way too,” she adds.

“I am no Savior,” she says sternly, barely resisting another snap. “If I was, Baelfire wouldn’t be dead.  _ He  _ saved us from the Wicked Witch and that’s all I want to hear on the subject,” she says firmly. 

Wendy shrugs slightly, conversation over for now. It’s a common argument for them. It feels like they have it every day. She’s supposed to be some Savior, but she doesn’t feel like one, she never has, even after years free from the Wicked Witch. All Emma’s been was the daughter of a sheep farmer, and after the death of her parents before she met Bae, she was lost. She never meant to save the world; she never meant to be the one destined to find some new land for her people. 

Emma doesn’t want to be the Savior. She wishes she could just hand off the job to someone way more qualified.

Emma watches Wendy look up at the sky, face stern. Emma never really understood why Wendy has been helping her for all these years; at first, it was some obligation to Bae, but yet she’s been talking about telling Henry the truth about his father since Henry was old enough to hear these stories. She doesn’t understand it; Emma would think she’d want to protect his image.

Emma doesn’t think she’ll ever truly understand her. “Besides,” Emma continues, “Shouldn’t you be trying to find a way to avoid this Demon ship Henry keeps talking about?” she asks, still eyeing the brunette.

Henry had taken up talking to other sailors whenever they reached port. At first, he wanted to try to trade some of his treasures for different things, and then it turned into him hunting out stories from dock workers or deckhands. He was always very excitable when it came to adventures so Emma was barely surprised when Michael came to her that first time he caught Henry wandering off to engage in a conversation with a stranger. 

Wendy takes the change of subject gladly. Wendy rolled her eyes. “There  _ is  _ no Demon Ship,” she insists. “It’s just some pirate gang or something, an urban legend to scare people.” She crosses her arms and she looks insulted by the accusation. 

“Are you sure?” asks a voice from the hull; Emma recognized Michael, slightly pudgier than his younger brother holding the wheel of the ship, looking at Wendy in uncertainty. “What about all those ships that have gone missing?” he asks nervously. “No survivors or ship remains were ever found.”

Wendy sighs in annoyance, but Emma can see it’s barely contained outrage. “We’re going to be fine,” she says again. “These seas are protected,” she reminds them.

Emma raised a brow in disbelief. “Protected?” she asks. Emma didn’t see any royal colors on this piece of the map; she thought this area was uncharted.

“By the Ocean Queen,” Wendy retorts as if it’s obvious.

“Ocean Queen?” Henry asks, being drawn in by the talk of adventure and stories. His eyes lit up. “Who’s she?” he asks. 

“No one’s told you?” Wendy says in disbelief. “She’s a benevolent ancient ruler who protects all sailors in this area of the ocean,” Wendy replies. “Legend has it that she rules with three helpers, but not much more is known.” It makes Henry’s smile widen at the thought. Emma was sure her son’s head was filling up with ideas of meeting this ruler one day.

But at ten years old, Emma was not having it.

“You believe in an Ocean Queen and not a Demon ship?” Emma asks. It seemed a little one sided to her.

Wendy snickers. “Of course I don’t!” she exclaims. “I only believe in the wind and the stars; everything else is just fairy tales,” she says with a laugh. “That’s just an old story my mother used to tell me. She grew up around here,” she informs them. “A little place called Molida Island.”

Henry groans. “Aunt Wendyyyy,” he says with a sigh. “That’s mean.”

Wendy sticks her tongue out at him, looking like the kid Emma had met all those years ago. “That’s what you get for slacking off on your duties, mate.”

Henry sticks his tongue out right back at her. It wasn’t often that Wendy acted her age, only barely being 23 herself; but when she did, it was refreshing to Emma. It reminded her of the fierce Captain who could see them all through any storm in the sea and yet still had a soft side.

Emma’s relaxation was short lived, as before anyone realized it, a dark and thick fog rolled over them.

“What the—“ Wendy cries in surprise. “Everyone get to your stations,” she snaps at her two younger brothers. “We’re taking a detour from this place,” she orders. Emma looks around unsure. She has a dark feeling in her gut. She feels tingling in her soul, but she blocks it out. She doesn’t need more to deal with right now. She just needs her kid.

“Henry?” she calls out. She wanted her son with her while the crew worked on getting them out of here.

“Wind’s dead, Wendy,” John calls out.

“How can the wind be dead when a fog literally just blew in?” she snaps back.

“Mom, look!” she hears Henry say. He was sitting on the edge of the ship pointing out. “A ship.”

Emma looks over and realizes that Henry was right: there was a ship heading towards them and fast. “Henry, get away from there,” she orders, rushing down the steps in her dress. She barely reaches him as the ship descends upon them.

Emma sees its superior size loom overhead and dark wooden hulls cast a shadow upon their smaller vessel. Its ornaments are all a faded ivory color looking almost like bone. It looked like death itself had come for them.

“It’s the Demon Ship!” Emma hears Michael cry out. “These waters really are cursed!”

“It’s just a ship,” Wendy snaps at them. “Emma, Henry get below decks; let us handle things,” she orders. Emma nods in agreement, reaching over to gather Henry’s hand in hers and hide below deck. This was dangerous and Emma needs to keep Henry safe. 

She just wants to take her son where it’s safe.

Henry pulls away from her. “It is the Demon Ship!” he insists. “And there could be a lot of treasure on board.” He reaches up for a stray piece of rigging, much to Emma’s horror.

“Henry!” she shouts, trying to grab him as her son swings over to the ship. “Henry get back over here!” she calls out once he lands safely. She is going to ground him for life for this.

“It’s fine, Mom; it’s—“ Suddenly as if possessed, the fog around them gets much denser and it is hard to see Henry at all. Then she hears a piercing sound that shakes her to her very core.

“Mom!” Henry screams. He screams for her.

“Henry!” Forgetting every ounce of her fear, Emma grabs the rigging, same as Henry had, and attempts to swing over to the other side. She needed to get to her son  _ now _ .

However, the Demon ship started to move away from them so Emma’s leap of faith lands her clutching to the side of the ship.

“Emma!” She hears a chorus of voices call out in dismay. But she doesn’t care; she does her best to scramble upwards, trying to find something to catch the edge of her feet, anything to just hold on.

She hears a snickering laughter, sees a flash of dark hair and then someone uncurls her fingers from around the edge.

“Henry!” she shouts helplessly as she splashes into the water. Both the sky and the water were dark and grey and she couldn’t seem to make out either the Demon ship or her own ship in her confusion. 

“Henry!” she cries one last time before the water swallowed her whole.


	2. Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father's day everyone, I hope everyone is having a good time spending time with their families. Thank you so much for the support this story has gotten! This story would not be what it is without the lovely SpartanGuard for beta reading it, EastWestHomeisBest for her FABULOUS art as well as CSSNS for putting this event together.

**Chapter 1: Awake**

_ “Mom!” _

Her eyes shoot open and she sits up with a gasp, clutching her chest as she struggles to catch her breath.

Her vision is fuzzy when she looks around, and her limbs are sluggish at best. She doesn’t see Henry, she doesn’t see the ship or anything she recognizes.

“Henry,” she utters, her voice raw and her lips tasting like salt.

_ Salt. From the water. She was in the water. _

Suddenly Emma feels cold, cold through her bones and she’s shaking, shivering really.

“Henry!” she calls out again, looking around, but there’s no sign of her kid.

“Hey, you’re awake!” says another voice, from a figure kneeling beside her. “Thank goodness you’re ok; when I found you washed up on the beach, I swore you were dead.” She blinks at the figure, trying to concentrate on her, but it proves difficult.

Her hands move and they come into contact with sheets, softer than the sheets in _The Darling_. The bed was larger too.

Eventually, her vision clears to realize she isn’t on a ship, or on a beach, but in a bed on solid land. She also realizes she isn’t alone.

“Granny didn’t think you were dead, so we brought you inside to Granny’s spare room—well, my room, but it’s still just the spare room,” the woman continues. Emma blinks trying to figure out who she is and what she is even talking about.

The woman looks younger than her, so early 20’s, has darker blonde hair falling short on her shoulders, tanned skin and she just. Keeps. Talking.

“Wh-Where am I?” Emma asks, her voice rough to her ears and she feels incredibly thirsty.

The woman’s eyes spark at her talking. “So you  _ can  _ talk, I was worried. We’re in Mercury Island in the East Sea, only real land mass in this area, at least according to Granny, and Granny knows every—“

_ Oh god _ . Emma thinks.  _ Should have let me drown… _

“Tink, are you talking this poor girl’s ear off?” says a second voice, interrupting the girl and entering the room. It was an older lady carrying a plate of food.

At first, she considers denying it, wanting to get up and look for Henry, or this Demon Ship that had taken her kid.

But her stomach growls and she still feels cold. Emma knows that if she has any chance at finding her kid, she needs to stay strong.

She takes the food; it’s a warm bowl of broth with some sort of noodles, she isn’t sure exactly, only that it’s delicious, the warmth waking up her sluggish body more and more with every sip.

“I’m so sorry about Tink, she gets a little bit excited. I’m Granny,” the woman says, smiling kindly at Emma; she has a motherly feeling, as if she enjoys caring for the less fortunate. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Emma.”

“Tell me Emma, how did you come to be washed up on our beach?” 

Emma swallows, hesitant to share her story, but coming to the conclusion that she needs help and these people are all she has.

“I was sailing with my son. We were attacked by the Demon Ship, a big ship, scary designs and an unnatural fog,” she describes. She sees Tink’s face pale and the woman frowns darkly. “They took my son. I need to get him back,” she insists.

“Granny…”Tink says, glancing at the older woman.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie, but finding the Demon Ship—why, it’s impossible,” she insists. 

Emma narrows her eyes. “You’ve heard of it? What do you mean impossible?” she repeats.

“People have been trying to find the Demon Ships for years. No one survives the encounter,” Granny explains.

“But I survived,” she points out.

“Then count yourself lucky, Emma. Try to forget what you lost and move on.” Her words hit her to her core.

“That’s not happening,” she snaps. “My son is on that ship, and I’m finding him no matter what,” she insists, moving the soup away. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

She stumbles slightly when she stands. Tink moves to help her but she brushes her away.

“Well if you’re that stubborn,” Granny begins, “There is one other survivor that I know of.” That catches her attention. “Before you, he’s been the lone survivor of the menace; he still hunts the damn thing. Can’t imagine why.”

That does seem useful; someone hunting it must be familiar with Demon Ship and would have the most information, and given that he survived it, he might know how to defeat it and get her son back.

“Where do I find him?” 

Tink looks to Granny nervously. “You don’t mean…” 

The old woman nods.

“I do. You’re looking for Captain Hook, and you’re in luck; word around town is he made port on the other side of the island last night. He’s most likely still there.”

Get to the other side of the island, find this Captain Hook fellow, and save Henry. It sounded like the makings of a plan. 

“Alright,” she agrees. “If you could give me directions to this port, I can get out of your way as soon as possible.” 

Granny shakes her head. “If only it were that simple sweetie, but the safest way to the port is through the bridge and it’s out. The builder should be along in a few days to fix it, but until then, you’re stuck.

“My son doesn’t have a few days!” she snaps. “You said safest,” she recalls. “What’s the other way?”

The old woman shakes her head. “It’s too dangerous.”

“What’s the other way?” she repeats. Emma doesn’t care about danger. 

“There’s a path, but no one ever uses it,” The older woman begins.

“It’s covered with monsters!” Tink interjects. “You can’t go there, Emma; it’s not safe.” Emma rolls her eyes.

“Look, thank you for your hospitality but I’ll be fine,” she insists. “If you can just point me to the path, I’ll be going.” She moves towards the door, but Granny stops her. “Listen, lady—“ But the old woman just shakes her head. 

“I’m not stopping you, Emma,” she assures. “But you can’t go running around in those rags. I have a few things that might fit you.” Emma looks down at her clothes. The dress she’s wearing is completely ruined, sea water having done its job on the skirt and the rip in the back being too bad for a regular patch. 

“Now, I have an adventurer’s tunic; legend has it that the one who wore this-“ But Emma cuts her off, not even glancing at the green she holds, looking straight at a dark blue and brown vest and pants respectively hanging besides it.

“Will this work?” she asks. Emma glances at the clothes Granny is about to offer. “Sorry; green isn’t my color.” The old woman looks a little shocked before she nods.

“Perfect.”

//

Apparently this ‘super dangerous’ path was in fact super dangerous. 

The moment she stepped out into the path, three red demons attacked her. They were small but had claws, teeth and bright yellow eyes. They took one look and lunged for her. It took Emma by surprise and she barely got away.

It had taken kicking one in the face to get them to back off. The second she could, Emma ran back to town, where they apparently did not want to follow.

Tink is the one who finds her at the beach kicking at the sand, trying to find something on the beach to use for a weapon. That’s all she needs: a weapon to beat these things and get to port.

“Granny was right,” Tink says when she sees her; Emma glares at her. “The path is too dangerous.”

She rolls her eyes. Emma is not in the mood for an “I told you so.” She ignores her.

“Especially without a weapon, and the only weapon on this side of the bridge is Granny’s old sword but she doesn’t like to use it.”

Emma’s head pops up. “Sword?” she repeats. Tink’s eyes go wide.

“I shouldn’t have said that, like I really shouldn’t have said that, but sometimes I don’t know how to shut my mouth,” she admits.

“Why didn’t Granny mention a sword?” she asks. That would have helped her get through the monsters and would definitely be a big help in her mission.

“Granny is a pacifist,” Tink admits. “She keeps the sword because a friend of hers made it,” Tink adds. “But I don’t know what friend; I think it’s the cannon maker in another island but I’m not sure…” She trails off, talking about this Marco fellow, but Emma doesn’t care.

“Where’s the sword, Tink?” she asks.

The blonde shakes her head.

“It’s in the shed, but Emma, please—you can’t take it, it’ll get you killed and it’ll be me getting you killed and I really don’t want that.” She pleads with genuine emotion and Emma believes her—she honestly cares.

“Ok, Tink,” she says softly to calm the upset girl.

“You promise?” Tink asks. Emma hesitates.

“I promise.” Perhaps it’s a little juvenile, but she crosses her fingers behind her back.

Emma waits until Tink is called to do her daily chores to make her way to the shed. A part of her feels bad about stealing from these kind people, but she just says to herself that she’ll give it back as soon as possible.

Maybe even compensate them for their troubles. It would be a harmless theft.

(Emma tries to push the sight of a concerned Tink from her mind.)

She focuses on the mess of a shed, boxes and crates of food in every inch of it. It takes a good while before she finds a chest in the back of the room. The box is good and sturdy with a design etched in the wood. She wishes she can see it, but the chest is too old to properly make it out.

When she opens the chest, Emma is pleasantly surprised by what she finds. 

She had expected some rusty blade too heavy for her to handle one handed. It was what she was used to seeing when she was with Bae. Or something lighter and slender, like a cutlass.

This was a one-handed double edged broadsword; long enough to give her some reach, but short enough to give her some power. It was always the type of weapon she preferred. It was the kind of sword her father once had, and while she later learned how to wield one on  _ The Darling _ , her father’s weapon of choice always held a place in her heart.

She can tell by the sharpness and gleam of the metal that someone kept great care of the weapon. She picks it up and it feels right in her hand. She swings it, once, twice, three times and grins at the crisp sound of it cutting through air.

This is exactly what she needs; this is exactly the weapon she needs to rescue her kid. She looks around, finding a holster to secure the weapon to her side. Beside the chest, she notices a wooden shield. It also looks relatively new. A white bird design was painted onto it. She picks it up. 

She’s heard of people fighting with both a sword and a shield and she wonders. Bae never bothered with one. He thought they were too cumbersome, and considering his own fighting style, he was probably right.

Emma suddenly feels guilty for wanting to take both these things from the old woman who helped her.

_ “Mom!”  _

Emma shivers. She would never forget the sound of Henry calling for her. That was the reason she was doing this. This time, the means justified the end.

“What are you doing?” It catches her off guard to the point that she nearly drops the sword. Emma turns around slowly. 

_ “ _ That’s a good question,” Emma admits. She honestly didn’t think she’d get caught.

“You’re stealing from us?” Tink says, sounding devastated. “You promised you’d wait, you said—“

Emma gave a sigh. “I’m sorry, but it’s my son, my only family; wouldn’t you do that for your family? Your grandmother?” she asks. “Every minute I wait, I feel like he’s hurting, like he’s scared and alone and I can’t have that.” She tightens her hold on the blade.

Tink looks at her for a long moment, an almost blank look on her face.

“Granny isn’t my grandmother,” she admits. “I-I lost my memory. Granny found me. I was half drowned and injured; she nursed me back to health and gave me a sanctuary while my memory came back…” she trails off.

“But it never did.” Tink smiles in confirmation. Honestly, Emma feels for the younger girl. She knows what it feels like to feel lost in your own head, unsure about anything at all. She seems different from the happy go lucky chatterbox from earlier.

“I don’t know if I’d do what you’re doing if the situation was reversed; I don’t know if I have a son, or a loved one, a family.” She shakes her head. “But you’re right—waiting is stupid. We should go. Your son needs you.”

“We?” Emma repeats. That was the last thing she expected. “You don’t need to come; you don’t need to risk your neck for me,” she insists. 

“But I want to!” she insists, all her spunk springing back into her. “I want to help you find Captain Hook. Plus, you shouldn’t have to go it alone. You have me to help you; even if I can’t fight, I can watch your back.”

Emma nods; that seems helpful. “But when it starts to get tense, you’re going to have to keep quiet and not distract me, alright? And just until we get to the docks and I find Captain Hook.”

“Deal!”

//

The red creatures don’t stand a chance against a fully armed Emma Swan. The first one she finds, she sneaks up on, and stabs it in the back before it has a chance to turn on her. It howls in pain as it dissolves into darkness.

Its cry alerts the other two to her presence, they jump at her with a vengeance, but she pushes them back with the shield on her arm. They try to circle her, but she doesn’t let them, charging at one while blocking the other. It takes a few swings before they’re both vanquished as well.

“You do know how to swing a sword,” Tink says amazed. Emma smiles shyly. She really doesn’t, but the bare basic she knows is enough for now. It has to be.

**//**

The town is a lot smaller than Emma imagined. Maybe it’s because she’s used to bustling port cities, or hidden castle towns, but this town is absolutely tiny. 

There is a small tavern, a small inn, a shop or two and a boathouse. There are barely any homes either. It just feels sad and dead, like the life in this place just wasn’t there. Emma doesn’t understand it.

“I guess we can start at the shipyard,” Tink suggests, looking over at the ships. There are only a few, one standing out larger than the rest. Tink leads her right to that one.

“This is the one I remember Granny pointing out as his,” she explains. They look around, seeing not a speck of life on the ship. “Hello?” Again no one. There wasn’t even a crew on board.

“Are you looking for someone, miss?” says a voice; Emma sees an older man, sword at his hip and gruff disposition approach them.

“We’re looking for the owner of this ship. If you happen to know and want to tell us, of course…” Tink says meekly.

“Captain Hook,” Emma says louder, more assertively. “Can you tell us where he is?”

The man laughs. “Why on earth would you want to know where that sorry seaman is?” he asks. Emma crosses her arms stepping forward. 

“That’s none of your business sir. If you can’t help us, we’ll just find someone who can,” she says boldly.

“Probably drowning his sorrows in more rum at the tavern,” the man says leering at her. “But I wouldn’t bet on him helping you. The man is obsessed with only two things, rum and his suicide mission.” He laughs, eyes glancing at Tink. Emma steps in front of the younger girl. “Perhaps I can be of service to you sweetie.” Emma takes Tink’s hand.

“Thanks, but we’ll take our chances.” She pulls Tink right along.

“I get to come to the tavern with you?” she asks delightedly. “I’ve never been to a tavern before.” She almost giggles. Someone seriously has to take this girl out more...

“Well I’m not leaving you with Prince Charming back there,” Emma says certainly. “Come on; just stay close to me.”

The tavern isn’t as raunchy as Emma expected; it was just a bar with a bartender and a few unconscious guests. Considering it was pretty early in the afternoon it was better than Emma expected.

“Excuse me?” Emma asks the bartender. “I’m looking for Captain Hook,” she says slowly. “Do you think you can point me in the right direction?”

Before the man has a chance to reply, one of the drunks near her shoots to life.

“ _ Captain Hook _ ,” he says with obvious disdain. “Good for nothing pirate! Beat me at cards; cheated me, cheated me I tell you,” he insists with a raised fist, knocking over his half empty glass onto the floor.

“Linebeck, no one cheated you at cards,” the bartender assures him.

“There were 6 Aces in his deck, 6! I counted them. 1,2,3…” He seems to get a little lost at that point. Tink tries to help him finish counting but Emma can tell a lost cause from here.

“Can you help me find him?” she asks the bartender once more.

“The Temple!” Linebeck shouts once more. “He conned me out of my key to the Ocean Temple!”

The bartender turns his head sharply. “Linebeck, you didn’t. You know the man is crazy about that,” he says. 

“Conned me, I say!”

“What is he talking about? Where is Captain Hook?” Emma demands. When no one answers, she takes a breath, trying to calm down.

“Look, I’ve traveled a bit to find him, fought some monsters, stole from a little old lady’s house; so if someone doesn’t start talking, I’m going to be really mad.”

There’s a look between the bartender and the crazed drunk.

“The Temple of the Ocean Queen. Hook has been coming and going for months trying to get in there, but it’s locked up tight. The only key there somehow ended up in Linebeck’s hands. Now Hook has it so he’s probably there,” he explains. Tink’s eyes go wide. She obviously knows something about this Temple. “And if he managed to get in that place, then you might as well give up, because he’s surely dead by now.”

_ Dead? _

“He can’t be dead!” she exclaims.

“Emma…” Tink pleads. “He’s right; the Temple, Granny says-“ Emma shakes her head storming right out of the tavern. “Emma!” she calls, chasing after her.

“Which way to the temple?” she demands.

“You can’t go!” Oh, but she can. 

“What if he’s not there yet?” Emma tries. “What if we just go to the gate and look around?” she persuades.

Tink thinks about it for a moment. 

“Do you know how to get there?” she asks. The girl nods.

“Just take me there Tink; that’s all I ask,” she insists. The smaller blonde looks uncertain, but she does lead the way through a path riddled with monsters towards the ominous blue building. As Emma says they do look around, look for any sign of the sea captain, but there is none, not until they get to the gate where there is a collection of chains undone, slightly open where you could slide through.

It was plainly obvious Captain Hook had found his way inside. 

“I have to go in,” Emma states plainly, looking at her companion.

“Emma, going in there is a suicide mission,” Tink insists. “People go in there and never come out. It’s a fool’s mission,” she adds, her hands on Emma’s arm, wanting to pull her away.

Emma glances at the tall, intimidating building and Emma can see what she means: it radiates an unsettling feeling.

“You said that this Hook fellow is the only one crazy enough to hunt down the Demon Ship,” Emma reminds her.

“Yeah but—“ Emma doesn’t let her finish.

“He’s in there, right?” Again Tink nods. “Then I have to go in there, find him and get him to take me to the Demon Ship,” she concludes. 

“But Emma,” Tink says; she's practically pleading with her. “If you go in there, you’ll die,” she says like a certainty. It leaves a sour taste in her mouth.

Sour, but familiar. 

“If it’s my only chance at saving Henry, then I’m prepared to die trying. If you’re scared, I get it; this isn’t your fight, this isn’t your problem. Go back to Granny’s; you’ve done enough.” She has; Emma is incredibly grateful for her help, but here is where they part.

She doesn’t let Tink answer, knowing nothing the young woman can say will change Emma’s mind. Emma doesn’t need anyone else to believe in her; she has Henry’s belief and that is more than enough for her.

It takes a minute to push the heavy doors open, but once the door opens, light floods the room so she’s not in complete darkness. 

The first thing she notices is how grand this place looked. It looks more like a palace than a temple, like something out of a storybook. She can see an alter up at the top where a Queen could stand and address a gathering of people. She can see where grand curtains could be hung, a door that could be towards a war room, or rooms for guests or family. It didn’t feel like a temple, a building existing to protect something sacred; it felt like a castle, strong and secure, but filled with darkness. 

The next thing she notices are the voices, low and sad voices. 

_ “Death to all who enter the Ocean Temple.”  _ It makes her turn around sharply, as there’s a cold feeling in the back of her neck. All she sees behind her are bones.

“ _ Life drained in an instant; abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” _ She whirls around again, sword at the ready; still nothing. Emma thinks she’s starting to get the feeling why entering here is a suicide mission.

“If you’re going to be spooky, at least be original,” she quips at the voices.

“Who has to be original?” another voice asks. Startled, Emma swings her sword, absolutely tired of this. Tink lets out a shriek as she barely jumps out of the way. “I know you’re mad but seriously?” the blonde cries out.

“Sorry,” Emma replies. “This place is…creepier than I thought it would be,” she admits, glancing around. She doesn’t hear any more voices. Tink nods in agreement, stepping away from a skull she just notices. “What are you doing here?” she asks. “I thought I was on a ‘suicide mission’.” It makes Tink flinch.

“I made a promise that I’d take you to Captain Hook,” Tink reminds her. “I-I don’t like breaking promises.” Emma raises a brow. “Plus, I figured it would be safer if we went in together. How could I let you go in alone when I know you’re fighting for your son? What type of person would that make me?” she asks.

_ A sane person. _

“You don’t have to, Tink,” Emma insists. “Like I said outside, it’s my battle to fight.”

Tink crosses her arms stubbornly. “Sorry Emma, you’re stuck with me,” she insists. “Whether you like it or not.”

Emma wonders if Tink coming with her is a good idea for exactly two minutes before she steps on a booby trap and Tink pulls her back just moments before a sword could come down on her head.

So maybe the annoying talkative blonde was really starting to grow on her.


	3. Hook

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone so much for the wonderful support! I appreciate it so much! Thank you Spartanguard for beta reading this, and eastwesthomeisbest for your WONDERFUL art as well as CSSNS for putting everything together!

**Chapter 2: Hook**

The next room inside is longer but far less creepy than the one prior; there was this light purple light emulating from the ground that felt strangely comforting.

“What  _ is  _ this place?” Tink says, amazed as they proceed. Emma doesn’t know. It doesn’t feel evil per se. “And who’s  _ that?” _

Emma blinks, looking over to the other end of the room to see a large cage with a man, sitting on the ground.

“Hello?” Tink calls, bounds over towards him. Emma curses her recklessness as Tink rushes ahead and out of the purple light. The moment Emma follows, she feels it in her soul. It feels like she was punched in the gut. “Emma?” Tink asks, looking completely unaffected. Emma shakes her head and grins.

“I’m fine,” she assures her, following slower. The feeling doesn’t go away.

“Better get back to safety, sweetheart,” the figure says from his slumped position. “This place’ll kill you,” he assures her.

“Are you alright, mister?” Tink asks, leaning towards the bars, seemingly unfazed. The man chuckles; leaning further from the bars. “How did you get stuck in there?” she asks.

“I’ll be fine,” he assures her in a cool voice. “But it’s best you leave before going any further,” he insists. “It’s far too dangerous in here.” Emma rolls her eyes. 

“Shouldn’t you be more concerned that if we leave you’ll most likely die in there?” she asks.

“I’ll find my way out,” he assures. “A better question: what are the pair of you doing in here?”

“We’re looking for Captain Hook,” Tink supplies; Emma glares at her sharply, but it does nothing to dissuade her. “Have you seen him?”

The man chuckles. “He’s already long gone from here,” he assures them. “If you want to catch him before he sets sail, you better leave now.” Emma frowns.  _ He’s lying _ . 

“Do you know him?” Tink asks. He nods.

“We came in here together; he ran off with the loot, leaving me here.” Another lie. 

Emma looks around, seeing passageways before her. It seems to her that this guy just wants them out.

“We need to find the Demon Ship,” Emma says slowly. It seems to catch his attention as she gets closer to the bars. “Do you know anything about it?”

He too responds slowly, meeting her eyes carefully. She hadn’t noticed how  _ blue  _ they were.

“I don’t know a thing about it,” he confirms. A third lie.

“I don’t believe you,” she says, turning the corner into one of the purple passage ways.

“What are you doing?” he demands, but she pays him no attention, noticing a small indent in the wall. 

_ Anywhere with traps has something of value. _

She presses against the indent and a wall on the opposite side lifts as if by magic. It causes Tink to jolt in surprise. The man’s eyes were wide.

“There’s a chest!” Tink exclaims walking over and opening a large ornate box. “There’s a map!”

The man moves quickly, hands wrapped around the bars craning his neck to see Tink. “You found it,” he breathes in amazement.

“What…is it?” Tink asks, shaking it. Emma can see the dust falling off of it, but it doesn’t have her attention. The man does.

“Let me out!” he exclaims. “I know what it is. I-I can help you,” he insists. More lies, everything that comes out of his mouth are lies. Emma knows better than to associate herself with a liar.

“I thought only Captain Hook could help us?” Emma calls back sarcastically. “I thought he already got all the ‘loot’?” He turns back at her in surprise seemingly a bit dumbfounded by her words, yet he recovers quickly.

“It appears he may have missed something. Perhaps I can be of service on your quest to find the Demon Ship?” he asks with a helpful smile.

“Not interested.”

“But—“

“He’s lying to us, Tink. I don’t need a liar helping me.”

He looks shocked by Emma’s claim. “I’m not lying to you.” She shakes her head in disagreement.

“Then who exactly are you?” she asks sarcastically, then nodding at the hook curled around the bar. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed the hand or lack thereof,” she points out. “Anyway, everyone said that Captain Hook was a good for nothing pirate, so why should we bother trusting you after you lied to me three times?”

“I’m the only one who’s ever survived the Demon Ship! You need me. If you want to find the treasure, you must let me help you,” he insists.

Emma shakes her head. “You’re not the only one,” she says softly then turns to Tink. “Let’s go.”

She plans to leave him here, truly she does. She could just take this treasure and trade it to whoever can take her to the Demon Ship first. Someone should be brave enough with a little extra incentive.

She doesn’t need this egotistical pirate who is just lying to her. She doesn’t need any more liars who don’t believe in her.

“Wait!” he shouts. She doesn’t. She has no reason to. Helping him would just get in the way of rescuing Henry. “You need me alive!” he adds with conviction. 

It makes her stop and turn towards him. She turns to see his eyes burning into hers, the swagger and couldn’t-care-less attitude is gone.

“You came in here looking for Captain Hook, right? Well, that’s me, and if you think anyone else can get you a shot at the Demon Ship, you’d be wrong,” he adds.

This time, he’s telling the truth. But she’s not sure; she’s not sure she can trust him. So despite the dangers, she gets close, real close right up against the bars of the trap.

“And why should I believe you?” she asks. “Give me one good reason to help you.”

He smirks at her. “Because I want the same thing you want, revenge, after all.” He pauses and shifts his wrist, letting the hook catch the light and draw her attention.

“I don’t want revenge,” she insists.

“Oh, don’t you? No one ever goes to seek the Demon Ship unless they’re stupid, which you are certainly not, or it took something from them.” Emma grinds her teeth, not wanting to give anything away to the man. “And if someone takes something from you, you long to take it back and then make them  _ pay for what they stole,”  _ he sneers. 

Emma rolls her eyes. “I’m not interested in revenge,” she insists.

“Call it what you will, but I can see it in your eyes,” he counters. “And I’m your only chance at getting it.” Emma looks him over briefly. She didn’t want to dwell on his words; she didn’t have the mental energy for it. She could feel this place sapping at her strength.

“And what exactly are you getting revenge for?” she asks. “Stealing some of your treasure?” she says with an eye roll. He doesn’t respond until her eyes return to his.

“How do you think I lost my hand?”

He says it with a smirk that doesn’t reach his eyes. Instead, all Emma sees is anger.

“Do you believe him?” says the small voice of Tink; quite frankly, Emma had forgotten all about her. “He already lied to us; do you think he’s doing it again?” She also didn’t realize what she was signing up for when she agreed to the ‘us’ thing. She’s not sure.

She watches him. This ‘Captain Hook’ hasn’t moved; he’s just staring her down, waiting for her to make her decision.

“I bet people only lie to you once, Swan,” he says after a beat, smirk returning, and the tenseness between them easing a bit.

“Swan?” she counters with a raised brow.

“Your shield, it has a swan on it,” he points out. “It’s pretty fitting if you ask me,” he says with a grin. “Swans are ferocious, much like yourself.”

Somehow that makes her smile. “Damn right I am,” she agrees, going over to a switch she sees on the opposite wall and hits it with her sword. The bars locking Hook away disappear. “Now come on; this place is giving me the creeps.”

//

They don’t really speak on the way back to the dock. Emma is busy studying her super-secret treasure, but it looks like an ordinary map to her and Tink is busy watching the pirate. 

And the pirate? Well, Emma can sense his eyes on her the entire way.

“See something you like, love?” he says as they return. Emma looks back and is thankful that his words are not directed at her. It makes Tink recoil sharply.

“First of all, not your love,” Tink responds. 

“Nor could you be darling.” He replies with ease. “Too bloody noisy.” He glances back at Emma. “I much prefer a spit fire, not a firecracker.” Emma just rolls her eyes. But his comment seems to have just infuriated Tink more.

“And secondly,.” sShe says more forcefully,. “I don’t trust you. Come on, Emma, are you really sure he can take you to the Demon Ship?” she asks, glaring at the pirate. Emma can sense she’s been holding onto these thoughts the entire way here.

Emma shrugs. It seems like her best course of action.

“I mean he’s rude and arrogant and he lies,” Tink lists. “Plus, how do you even know he knows anything about the Demon ship?” she asks.

Emma glances his way, raising a brow. “That’s a good question,” she notes, looking back at him.

Hook glares at Tink. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot?” he comments. “And that high pitched voice...” 

“See what I mean? Just plain rude,” Tink responds, crossing her arms.

“Also, I’ve been hunting that bloody ship for a little over 2 years,” he tells them. “But it’s pretty difficult when it never leaves any survivors; the most I ever have to go on is the general area where ships were scheduled to be when they never made it to their destination.”

Emma hesitates.

“But I survived,” she says.

“That you did, love; maybe it’s fate,” he says with a wink. He’s staring at her again, and she can feel the weight of those blue eyes again. She looks away.

“And if there are no leads, how exactly are we supposed to find this ship?” she questions.

He smirks. “And that’s where this comes in,” Hook says, pointing at the map in her hands. She looks down at it and back to him. “May I?” 

She hands over the treasure. “What does an old map have to do with anything?”

Hook holds the map carefully, eyes darting over it, face poised in concentration.

“A majority of the ships that disappeared had something in common; they had relics of the Ocean Queen,” he explains. “So I have a theory that either the Demon Ship is obsessed with the Ocean Queen, or there is a connection between the two.”

“But I thought the Ocean Queen was just a fable?” Emma asks. That’s what Wendy had said, but then again she said the same thing about The Demon Ship...

“Oh I assure you, The Ocean Queen is very much real.” Hook says solemnly. “She’s just been asleep for as long as anyone can remember. The temple is supposed to keep the most valuable and powerful of her treasures safe; perfect bait if you ask me,” Hook insists. “And this seems to say that there’s an even better treasure here,” he says, pointing to an insignia on one of the islands. It seemed to glow purple briefly. 

“Wait, hold on, you’re going to  _ bait _ the Demon Ship?” Tink asks. “That’s suicide!” she exclaims.

“That’s what you said about the Ocean Temple,” Emma reminds her.

“I know, but this is  _ more _ suicide,” she insists. “You really can’t think this is a good idea, Emma.” She doesn’t, not really, but it’s the best plan she’s heard and if it gets her a chance at saving Henry, she is on board.

“Perhaps if you had a weapon to fight the Demon Ship, your plan would have a chance at working,” a voice says. Emma turns around and sees none other than Granny standing before them at the edge of the dock. 

“Granny!” Tink exclaims running over to her. “Please help me talk Emma out of this; it’s a horrible plan.”

Granny nods. “I agree, unless you have a way to fight the Demon Ship.” Emma narrows her gaze, not understanding.

“The Demon Ship is not natural, it has dark powerful magic,” Granny continues. “Now, if you had magic of your own to fight it with...”

_ Magic?  _ Emma shudders at the thought. She doesn’t want to think about magic; she’s done her best these last 10 years to not think at all about magic.

“And how exactly do you know this, Granny,” Hook asks suspiciously. “When I came to visit you, you said that the Demon Ship was nothing but a couple of pirates.” The old woman shrugs.

“Perhaps I was waiting to see how driven you are on your quest Captain,” she says casually. It makes Hook bristle next to her. “Besides, this is about a child,” she throws a pointed glance towards Emma. “And the only way you’re going to fight magic is with a bit of your own.”

_ Magic always comes with a price. _

“And where exactly are we going to get magic?” Hook asks. “It doesn’t exactly grow on trees.”

But Emma knows; she looks at the map in Hook’s grasp, sees how carefully it’s drawn with a crest and everything.

“This treasure isn’t just treasure, isn’t it?” Emma asks. “It’s magic.”

Granny nods. “There used to be stories of a seer that lived in Ember Isle before the Ocean Queen fell. If anyone knows about the secret treasure hidden in Ember Isle, it would be her.”

It seemed like a better plan. “How long before we can leave, Hook?” Emma asks in confirmation.

He throws another suspicious glance at Granny before turning to her with confidence. “Within the hour, Swan.” And he disappears into the ship.

“I guess this is it,” Emma says to the younger blonde.

Her eyes go wide. “You’re leaving the island,” Tink realizes. It looks to her that she didn’t even fathom not going with her. “I-Are you sure you can trust Hook?” Tink asks one last time. “I’d hate to think of what trouble he could cause you.” Emma just grins.

“I can take care of myself,” she assures her. “Good luck with your missing memories,” she says. Tink gives a sad smile.

“Thanks,” she says half-heartedly. “You’ll come see me, right? After you rescue Henry, before you leave the region?” she asks.

Emma nods. “Of course, Tink. I owe you so much for helping me.” She doesn’t know what would have happened had she woken up alone on the beach with no idea how to find Henry. Emma would have lost her mind.

“Tink, why don’t you join her?” Granny says gently. 

“Join her?” Tink repeats. “I couldn’t leave you, Granny; who would take care of the Cucckoos?” Granny waves her off.

“Tink, you’ve spent months here and are no closer to recovering your memories,” she reminds her. “I think it’s time for you to see the world, find your missing past. Who knows— perhaps they’ll find you.” Emma swears she sees tears in the blonde’s eyes as she hugs the older woman. “Just promise me Tink, that you’ll be brave. Promise me you’ll have courage no matter where you go.”

Tink nods vigorously. “I promise,” she says and gives Granny another hug.

Then after a moment, she turns towards Emma. “You do want me along right? I mean we’ve gotten this far together, I just thought—“ she says, trailing off in a bit of a panic.

“I’d hate to endanger you in this mess,” Emma says, moving towards the ship and onto it. “But if you want to come, you’re welcome to.” Tink’s expression brightens as she races after her.

“I promised to have courage, right? I promise, Emma, I’ll help you rescue your son in any way I can,” she insists. Her eyes go wide admiring every inch of the ship and Emma has to admit, it is a beautiful ship.

“Swan, we’re almost ready to depart; are you—“ He stops, looking between them both. “Bloody hell,” he curses.

“Is there something wrong?” Emma asks.

“I thought we were free of the insufferable girl,” he says, eyeing Tink. She crosses her arms stubbornly. 

“Nope!”


	4. Isle of Ember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support! This story would not be what it is without the lovely Spartanguard beta reading, eastwesthomeisbest for providing that glorious cover art( Have you seen it? No? Go check it out!!!) As well as CSSNS for giving me a reason to finally start posting this creation.

**Chapter 3: Isle of Ember**

The goddamn mountain is on fire. 

Because of course it is. They couldn’t go to a regular island. The whole island had to be a giant death trap. It was the only island with a seer that could help her. 

She wondered if someone just made this stuff up to annoy her. 

“Come on, Swan, where’s your sense of adventure?” Hook calls, seeing her disgruntled expression. “I’ve been looking for the Isle of Ember forever.” 

Emma rolls her eyes. “Some pirate; this was literally like a few miles away from Mercury,” she responded.

“You do recall that map is an ancient treasure and the whole glowing thing it did, right?” Hook responds. “This place was concealed.” 

She sighs. Of course it was. Emma didn’t understand why she was even here, she should be out looking for that ship. It had found them so easily, why couldn’t they just…Emma didn’t know. All she knew was that the longer she spent away from her son, the worse she felt.

“Sooner we meet this psychic, the better,.” she says simply, looking away from the pirate.

“Of course, Swan.”

“You know it’s Emma, right?” she says, leaning into the railing of the ship.

“I have been informed. Swan just seems more fitting,” he replies, leaning against the rail. ”But what about this child the old bat mentioned before departing?” he asks.

“My son,” she replies. He has a right to know, and perhaps knowing what Emma stands to lose will remind him of how far she’s willing to go. “We were sailing on  _ The Darling _ , a ship under Captain Wendy Darling and her brothers, when the Demon Ship appeared. My son, Henry went over to it. He thought he could take it; he thought we were right behind him. I heard him scream and tried to go and get him, but I fell overboard, that’s how I survived. It’s also how I ended up on Mercury Island,” she explains.

He nods knowingly. “We’ll find him, Swan,” he says. “We’ll find your boy.”

//

The seer’s house is surprisingly easy to find, especially with it being the only house on the island. It is small and wooden, which Emma finds to be a completely awful design choice, considering it sits at the foot of a not so dormant volcano which, according to Hook, occasionally spews out balls of molten lava.

However, when they get to the door, they find it in fragments, wood chunks everywhere, the small living room ruined with jagged claw marks and blood. It’s quite a lot of blood.

“Scorch marks,” Hook points out as he makes his way inside, “It looks like this seer fought back and managed to vanquish some of these creatures,” he observes.

“And the blood looks fresh,” Tink adds, although she looks like she’s trying not to look directly at it.

Emma just nods. “Then we should see if she’s still alive.” The claw marks seem to lead downstairs. “And I guess the basement’s a good place to start.” Because of course it’s the basement. It’s always the basement.

They hear something as Emma, leading the group, steps onto the basement floor. It’s a shriek and Emma only has seconds to move before a red monster jumps at her face. She swings her sword wildly, hitting the monster away from her. She curses as she sees it in the darkness, stunned but not quite done yet.

It’s bigger than the ones she fought on Mercury. And it’s not alone. She readies for it to jump again when Hook joins her in the basement, his own sword at the ready.

“You know, you swing that thing like a club,” he comments. “Perhaps some lessons are in order.”

Emma rolls her eyes. “Seriously?” she asks. “This is not the time for this, and I can sword fight fine,” she insists. He smirks at her.

“Darling, you wouldn’t survive two minutes in an  _ actual  _ sword fight. Would you like to see how a sword is actually supposed to be used?” he asks. She glares at him but says nothing as he steps towards the creatures. They eye him suspiciously, yellow eyes glaring at the sword. 

They shriek before they jump, all at once towards him. Emma readies her sword to try to help him, but she has a gut feeling he doesn’t need her. He strikes the first one and ducks out of the way of the other two, letting them hit something with a crash. He turns, not even watching as the injured one bursts into ash, before giving the next two killing blows before they even recover. 

Emma has to admit that he knows how to use that weapon; perhaps he was right about those lessons… He turns back around, putting away the blade.

“I could have done that,” she mutters, looking away from his smug face.

“But not as dashingly as me, love,” he snickers, looking around. “But are we sure there was a seer here? Perhaps she wasn’t home when the monsters broke in?”

She looks around and agrees; it just looks like a bunch of junk in here. She walks around the place, hoping for some kind of clue.

“Is it safe?” she hears Tink timidly call from the staircase. “I found a torch,” she adds.

“All good, love,” Hook calls. Tink glares at him as she emerges, the torch in her hand lighting up the room. 

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not your love! Can you  _ please  _ stop with the pet names?”

One of the walls looks different from the rest, Emma realizes. It’s not as smooth, and it’s hollow.

“You really suck out the fun out of everything don’t you, lass?” Hook notes. “A few pleasantries among friends isn’t going to kill you.”

Emma feels along the wall looking for something, anything that can prove to her what she’s suspecting, that it’s not a wall at all. She tries knocking on it, and after a moment, she hears something.

“First of all, I have a name; it’s Tink. Secondly, we are not friends. We are two people with a common goal: help Emma rescue her son. Thirdly, pleasantries with you might actually kill me,” Tink says fuming at the pirate.

“Will you both shut up?” Emma snaps. They do. She knocks again. She can hear it better this time (without the needless talking.) 

It sounds like help. “Hey can you hear me?” she says louder.

“Can I—“ Hook starts, but Emma shushes him.

“The monsters are gone; if you can hear me, know that it’s safe to open this door,” she says.

“ _ Is Kayto there? _ ” the voice says, muffled by the door but clear enough.

“No, just me and my companions,” she insists. “But we mean you no harm I promise,” she says gently.

“Kayto is the only one who can open the door,” the voice replies. “Please, you have to find my friend.”

She looks at Hook and Tink; she knows they’re thinking the same thing she is. The blood in the room—it was probably Kayto’s.

Emma considers telling this person that her friend is most likely dead and that there’s a good chance they’re going to have to blow the door down to free her, but Emma doesn’t have the heart to tell her that.

_ She doesn’t have it in her to leave someone behind, leave them to die. Or worse. _

“Emma…” Hook says. He’s ready to tell her all the things she already knows.

“Ok. We’ll go find your friend.” Emma insists, giving Hook a look. “Will you be ok in there for a little while?” She asks.

“Yes, thank you. Thank you so much,” the voice replies.

Hook waits until they’re outside to comment. She’s thankful for that.

“You are aware he’s most likely dead, right?” Hook asks.

Emma doesn’t respond. She just trudges out of that place, looking around for some direction as to where to go. She needs to hurry if there’s any hope for this guy. She notices a blood stain and follows it.

“Swan, this isn’t going to end well,” he continues. She doesn’t need to hear it, she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t have it in her to hear how she should just leave this guy behind. “He’s lost too much blood. You and I both know that.”

She does, but Emma doesn’t care. She has to try. She just has to.

Hook grabs her arm and Emma snaps.

“Then go if you don’t want to look!” she nearly yells at him. He recoils sharply. “Go if you just want to leave this guy behind, see what I care; but I’m going to go look for him, I’m going to go find out for sure one way or another, so stay out of my way.” She doesn’t wait to respond, just turning back towards the path. A single goal in mind.

She hears Hook following along behind her. He doesn’t say a word.

_ Good.  _ She thinks. She doesn’t need his smug attitude anyway.

The trail leads along the perimeter of the island. Monsters block her path but she makes quick work of them, mentally preparing for more snark and comments about how she fights. She doesn’t care if she wasn’t trained right; it’s working. 

He still doesn’t say a word. Emma can feel his eyes boring into her, but she refuses to look at him. She doesn’t want him to say more things about how this guy was dead, more about how she’d fail,  _ again.  _

She was a Savior who couldn’t save a goddamn thing.

_ “Hello?” _

Emma jolts, feeling  _ something  _ on the back of her neck. She turns around quickly, nearly hitting Hook with her blade. He curses as he barely dodges.

“I know you’re mad, but you do still need me to sail the Jolly,” he says with a hint of a joke. 

“Sorry, I thought…” she says, avoiding his gaze. She turns back around.

“You thought what, Swan?” he asks. It sounds crazy. It was this damn island, and a whole bag of issues playing tricks on her. “Come on, Swan—talk to me,” he insists.

She doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to hear any more negativity. 

“Doesn’t matter,” she mumbles. They keep walking. He takes up a position beside her.

“Something that didn’t matter almost made you take off my other hand,” he notes casually.

“I said I was sorry,” Emma snaps back.

_ “Can someone help me?”  _ It happens again, a feeling in the back of her neck. She looks around, for something, anything to explain this…feeling.

“Swan? It’s happening again, isn’t it?” Hook insists, his arm grabbing hers. She tries to pull out of his grip, but he holds firm.

“Tell me what’s happening,” he says seriously. “I can’t help you if I’m left in the dark.”

She pulls away violently. “I don’t need your help!” she snaps angrily. 

Hook’s eyes darken. “Bloody hell, I’m not him alright?” he nearly shouts, his body rigid. “I’m not whoever it was that left you, so stop thinking every word out of my mouth is me trying to leave you, or this Kayto, or this quest. I’m trying to help and your own stubbornness is what’s getting in the way.”

Emma blinks. “How—“ Hook rolls his eyes, taking a step closer to her, getting in her space and staying there.

“You have the look in your eyes of someone used to being abandoned. I saw it the moment we met, but your outburst earlier showed me how deep it ran. Tell me—they said they loved you and then they ran? They left you in some peril; said they thought you were dead, aye?” he asks.

It strikes a nerve deep in her core, leaving her rattled. She can’t find the words. 

“Don’t think everyone is going to be the same. Don’t think I’m going to be the same,” he says sternly, gaze morphing into a smirk. “Trust me, love—you’ve never met a man like me before.” He adds a scandalous wink, making her cheeks turn red.

_ “Can anyone help me?”  _ It’s louder this time.

“I keep hearing something,” she admits reluctantly, her shoulders sag. “A voice and it makes my whole body tense up, like something dangerous is near,” 

He looks at her calculatingly, eyes tracing over her face. “Well…what’s it saying?” he asks. She’s surprised by his response.

“It's…asking for help.” She wonders if he believes her, or wonders if he’s just humoring her.

“Well…have you tried answering it?” Hook replies with a bit of a head tilt. “Offer it our assistance?” 

Emma blinks in surprise. “You’re not serious.” Hook shrugs.

“Perhaps it can help us find our friend?” he suggests. “Can’t hurt.”

She turns around, trying to remember around where she heard it last. “Hey? Anyone here?” she calls.

Emma doesn’t expect an answer; she honestly believes she’s crazy, or sleep deprived, or both.

_ “Hello?”  _ the voice calls again, almost as if on cue. 

“Hey!” she shouts. “I’m here; do you need help?” she asks, looking around for anything out of the ordinary. She doesn’t see anything.

“Be friendly, Swan,” Hook encourages with a wink. Emma rolls her eyes.

“ _ Can you hear me?”  _ it asks. She sees something flickering in front of her. 

“Yes, I can.” It’s a blue flame of some sort. She looks at Hook; it’s obvious that he can’t see it. 

“ _ Oh that’s fantastic; I don’t know what happened to me!”  _ it says, pure relief in its voice. The blue flame seems to morph as he speaks

“What do you remember?” 

“ _ I remember cleaning My Lady’s home, sweeping, and the door burst open. My Lady was downstairs organizing her supplies. I called out to her, and told her monsters were attacking; usually they aren’t so strong, they fear My Mistress. They don’t bother us out of fear of her wrath, but these...these monsters attacked. My Lady got into the safe room, but I had to stay outside to close the door and—“ _

The ghost trails off, as the blue shape forms a person, short and small in stature, dark hair and eyes but a kind face. He seems worried.

Emma comes to the conclusion quite quickly that she’s speaking to Kayto’s ghost; they were already too late.

“ _ I don’t know what happened to her. Please—you have to find her and make sure she’s alright!”  _ he insists.

Emma smiles sadly; she doesn’t know what to say, what to do. 

“Are they saying something to you, Swan?” Hook asks. Emma nods.

“Your lady is fine.” Emma tells the ghost. “She sent us looking for you. We can’t open the door; she said you were the only one who could.” He looks relieved. “She wanted us to help save you from the monsters,” she adds. “She’s very worried.”

He nods. “ _ Of course. The password is her name. Tell her to speak it without fear and the door will open.”  _ She nods in understanding. She wonders if the ghost knows he’s dead, knows how to move on and not stay stuck here. 

“I’m sorry we were too late,” she says. He shakes his head, looking peaceful. His form flickers, his voice getting quieter.

“ _ Don’t be. Will you tell her not to think sadly of me? Will you tell her I was not in pain? Tell her to have hope, the change we are waiting for has arrived.” _

Emma furrows her brows in confusion. “The change?” she asks.

He doesn’t respond to her question, she can barely see him.

“ _ Tell her I’m at peace knowing that she is safe and that soon, she will not be alone…”  _ The voice fades as the figure does, but Emma feels…she doesn’t know. She feels something was missing. She feels like he isn’t gone.

“Everything ok?” Hook asks. Emma shakes her head; it’s probably nothing but while it looked to her like this guy was finding peace, she felt nothing. Emma doesn’t understand what’s happening, but she feels like peace should feel different from fading into nothing.

It feels wrong.

“It’s nothing,” she says. “Nothing that matters anyway. Come on; I know how to free our seer friend.”

When they return to the house, Tink is sitting on the floor, chatting happily with the seer. Tink is surprised to see them. “Where’s Kayto?” she asks immediately. Emma glares at her silently as she wanted to free the seer before breaking the news. You should have someone besides you when you learn your loved one was gone.

However, the seer surprises her.

“ _ He’s dead, isn’t he?”  _ she asks. Emma sighs.

“Yes, but I know how to open the door,” she says hopefully. “And I have a message from him,” she adds. Emma tells her what to do and she can hear the seer chuckle.

“ _ Kayto was always silly like that, making the passwords my name, or my eye color or my favorite flower,”  _ she laughs. “ _ Lily!”  _ she says sternly and without wavering. Without hesitation, Emma hears the gears shift and the door between them drop to the ground.

“Welcome to the other side,” Tink says, holding out her hand for the Seer, Lily, to grab. She takes it and Emma can see the woman’s face is filled with tears, despite having a smile on her face. Tink pulls her into a firm hug. “I’m so sorry about your friend,” she says. __

“Me too.”

//

It takes some time to clean up as Tink takes Lily to her bedroom to rest. 

“Something bothered you, before,” Hook notes as he picks up pieces of the broken furniture as Emma mops. “When you were speaking to the dead.”

Emma shrugs, wishing he’d drop it.

“Sorry I wasn’t perky,” she says dryly.

“Does that often happen? The dead telling you their last wishes?”

“Not that I recall.” He doesn’t respond after that, seemingly getting the hint that Emma didn’t want to talk about it.

They have the room mostly clean by the time Lily and Tink return from upstairs. She gets a good look at her now. Lily was dressed in dark purple silks, tanned skin with darker brown hair. She was smiling, but Emma could see the grief radiating off the woman.

“You came to seek my assistance,” Lily says simply.

She feels nervous all of a sudden, unsure if they’d made the right decision to come here.

“I um…are you sure you’re up for this?” Emma asks. 

“You brought me Kayto’s last wishes; assisting you is the same as honoring my friend,” she confirms. “Tell me your—“ but Lily is cut off by the earth beneath their feet shaking. 

“Bloody hell!”

Bloody hell is right. Emma nearly loses her balance due to being forced to hug the wall to keep herself standing. Tink falls back on her butt, while Hook’s hook makes a scraping sound in the wall as he tries to avoid falling.

The shaking stops almost as abruptly as it begins.

“Sorry about your wall, lass…” Hook says sheepishly. Emma glances at the jagged marks in the wall. “I have something to patch it up onboard,” he offers.

Lily smiles kindly in his direction. “Thank you, Captain. It’s been a while since the island shook like that; it’s not a good sign,” she admits. “But that is none of your concern.”

Hook quietly makes his way out of the room. 

“Tell me your desire,” Lily says, pointing at a chair, now upturned besides the crystal ball on her table. “And I can take a glimpse into your destiny.”

Emma does as she asks; she’s not one to put much thought into ‘destiny’ and fate. She’s been screwed over by such thoughts before. But she’s willing to give it a try if it means finding Henry.

“I need to find the Demon Ship. There’s supposed to be something on this island that the Demon Ship wants. I need to know where it is,” she states.

“Many have come for this island’s treasure; none have found it.”

“Failing isn’t an option for me.” 

Lily takes her hands, and places them on the crystal. “Close your eyes.” Emma expected it to be cold, but it felt like ice, sending a shiver down her whole body., She closes her eyes, trying to relax to let Lily work her magic.

“Mom?” Emma’s eyes snap open. She knows that voice.

“Henry?” she exclaims, seeing her boy in front of her. He looks the same—same clothes, hair rumpled and dirty, but same bright and hopeful eyes. “Oh, Henry,” she says pulling him into her arms. He hugs her close, burying his face into her chest. “Are you alright?”

He nods, “I’m fine, but I want to go home. Please come take me home,” he says, tears appearing in his eyes. 

“I will,” she swears. “I’m coming to find you. I promise nothing is going to stop me.” 

He nods. There’s a loud creaking sound, making Henry jolt to look away from her, in the direction she can’t see.

“Henry?” Her kid starts to fade from view, becoming translucent.

“Mom?” Henry says turning back towards her, looking panicked. “Mom!”

“I’ll find you, Henry!” But it’s too late, her eyes blink open and she sucks in a large breath, pulling away from the crystal and Lily. Her whole body is trembling.

“What did you do? Where did you take me?” Emma demands, her whole body is trembling and there are tears streaking down her face. 

“It’s you,” Lily says in amazement. “You’re the Savior.” Her eyes widen with delight. Emma’s widen in horror. “I thought it was...You’re here to save the island, and defeat the evil.” Emma shakes her head.

_ Not this again… _

_ “ _ The Island needs you; you’re the only one who can do it,” she says, standing to embrace her, but Emma avoids her touch.  _ Why this? Why this again? _ “The realm needs you, Emma. You can save this island; you can save us all from this evil.” She shakes her head. 

_ No. No. No. _

“Are you sure?” Tink asks. “That she’s this Savior? What does that even mean?”

Lily turns to her. “The Savior was prophesied by my mother before I was born, to defeat a great evil, to restore balance. Now she is here, exactly when she is most needed. The Isle of Ember won’t last much longer.”

“Then it's a good thing she’s here,” Tink says with a nod. “I’ve learned not to doubt Emma. What does she have to do?”

“Why, climb Mt. Ember of course. Deep in the mountain lies a shrine to the Fairy of Power, but it’s been corrupted by evil—the same evil that has your child, Emma.”

They both look at her expectantly, like handing her responsibility for a whole island was a gift and not the burden it truly was.

“I don’t want to save anyone!” she exclaims loudly now. “I can’t do this. This savior you’re looking for its-its not me,” she insists. “I just want to save my kid. I just want Henry back,” she says in a smaller voice. “I don’t want to defeat some grand evil. I just want to go  _ home!” _

Lily and Tink look at her in surprise, or maybe it’s disappointment. Emma isn’t sure, so she doesn’t stick around to find out. She turns around and bolts for the door. She nearly trips as the ground shakes from another eruption, but Emma doesn’t care. She wants to run so that’s what she does. She just  _ runs. _

But with no destination, she happens to run right into Hook, quite literally as her body collides with his as he’s leaving the docks. Emma almost topples over, but Hook steadies her.

“Whoa, lass—what’s wrong?” he asks. Concern is written on his face, which is just  _ great.  _ Because if the pirate is showing concern for her then she must really be a wreck. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She was supposed to find a home for her and Henry, not let him get kidnapped. What kind of a mother is she?

_ What kind of Savior is she? _

“A bloody great mother, Swan,” Hook insists. Emma hadn’t even realized she had said any of that out loud. “What’s this about?” he asks; his hand is still on her arm, holding her steady, keeping her rooted to the spot.

“They want me to go there,” she says in a too small voice, pointing to the mountain. “They want me to defeat whatever evil thing has taken over. They want me to save this whole place and I-I just can’t. I’m not a hero, I’m not the one for the job. I barely know how to hold a sword,” she admits. Her knees tremble at the thought of going in there.

He doesn’t respond at first, but he doesn’t let her go. 

“Does going in there help you save Henry?” he asks. It catches her off guard.

“I don’t know. She said the same evil that has Henry is in there, but he’s not here, he’s…lost.” She knows in her soul that he’s not here; the vision—it felt darker, colder. He was scared; he wanted his mother.

Hook nods. “But going in there lets you weaken that evil, right? Help you find your boy?” She nods. Emma hadn’t thought of it that way; all she heard was another mission, another thing she’s expected to do because she’s the only one who could and she just…she shut down.

But if it’s for Henry…

“When it comes to your son, Swan—well, I’ve yet to see you fail.”

She turns to look at him, watch his eyes, his expression. He’s telling the truth—he believes in her and that feels…odd. A strange warmth settles in her chest.

“Do you really mean that?” she asks in a soft voice, frightened of ruining this feeling.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” He says like it was nothing. Maybe it was. Maybe for people not raised how she was, being believed in was normal. “You’re bloody brilliant.”

Emma feels something in that moment; something precious and new. She felt like she could do anything if he kept looking at her like  _ that. _

“Besides,” he says, “How can you fail when accompanied by yours truly?”

“You're coming with me?”

“What else do I bloody have to do? Trust me, Swan,—I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Besides, perhaps you’d accept a sword lesson or two on the way?”


	5. The Fire Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay, thank you everyone for your patience. I want to thank @eastwesthomeisbest for her BEAUTIFUL design, @cssns for putting this whole event on, as well as @spartanguard for beta reading. she’s been a life saver.

**Chapter 4: The Fire Temple**

Getting to the temple was far easier than Emma thought, once Lily pointed them the way. Honestly, going back to Lily’s house there with Hook had helped her mood considerably. 

Or maybe after seeing her reaction, Lily and Tink both seem to decide it was best to curb their enthusiasm. 

Whatever it may be, Lily directs them towards a door on the other side of the island with a purple mark. The door was easy enough to find and open, leading them to a long trek up a mountain. It was long, but the monsters were few and far between; possibly they themselves don’t dare go into a temple literally inside an active volcano.

The Temple itself...well, Emma was not impressed. She wasn’t exactly familiar with them, but she’d heard from Wendy of some of the ones she had to go through with Bae. She never went too much into the details, apart from falling off of a platform, nearly dying from the spiked vines at the bottom. She ended up with a nasty scar on her leg from the encounter. 

The room itself practically fills Emma’s lungs with smoke, fire burning from all ends. Paths were blocked by fire shooting from the walls, before stopping suddenly and illuminating the way forward. She could see walls that were not walls, colored switches that were obviously placed with a purpose. There was no doubt more that she couldn't see. 

“How are we going to do this?” Emma asks, bringing out her sword protectively. She hopes he can’t see her hands shake in fear—fear that it will only take one wrong step, one slip up, one mistake for the temple to kill them.

“Relax, Swan,” Hook says, taking a cloth from one of his coat’s many pockets and placing it over his mouth as a makeshift face mask. He offered her a spare to do the same. “Temples were once shrines, not meant to hurt anyway; mostly a means to dissuade looters or thieves.”

She glances at the literal death trap around them.

“Consider me dissuaded,” Emma mutters under her breath. Fire spews out from the wall, blocking their path once more. Hook grips her hand tightly with his own. 

“Ready?” She nods. The moment the fire extinguishes, they rush forward. They are barely at the other side when the fire erupts once more.

No turning back now.

//

It’s a maze. It’s an absolute maze. They are going up floors only to go down floors. It’s insane and it makes no sense. Emma absolutely wants to stab whoever designed this place.

“They don’t want to make it easy,” Hook tells her. 

“This is definitely not easy,” Emma agrees, lighting yet  _ another  _ torch to open a not so secret door. “Why anyone would break into here is beyond me.” 

“ _ We _ are breaking in,” Hook points out, starting the descent down the revealed stairs.

“We’re defeating some evil and rescuing a fairy.”

“Semantics,” he tosses back. “Point is, this place is trying to combat us. The trick is: we must be one step ahead of them.” She follows him down the stairs. 

“It sounds to me like this isn’t your first trip into a spooky temple,” Emma assumes. Hook just smirks back at her. 

“Never forget your first,” he says with a wink.

“So what was your first?” she asks. “Let me guess, you heard stories of legendary treasure went in, stole all the gold and got out?” It seems like something Hook would do. Ransack a place for all the treasure, probably schmoozing with the locals to get information.

“I was ten years old, and my father asked me to catch a monkey for him. I was excited, ran into this forest-looking place. Little did I know what I was walking myself into—”

Hook moves before she even acknowledges it’s happening. One moment she's there and the next Hook has pulled her close just as a monster leaps onto the very spot she once occupied.

“What the—” she shouts as Hook charges forward, sword in hand. It was a huge  dog-likedog like creature but red and scaled. Hook moves first, stabbing at it with his sword and pulling its attention off of her.

He gives it a glancing blow, seeming to only make it angry, before it’s turning its attention back to her. This time she’s ready. She swings her sword, but much like Hook, its scales deflect much of the damage she does. 

“What the hell are we going to do?” Emma shouts. Thankfully, her shield does much the same against its attempt to swipe at her with it’s sharp claws. But it wouldn’t hold forever.

“Look for a weak spot. I’ll distract it!” he calls. It’s absolutely a terrible plan. He should be looking for a weak spot,  _ she's the one with the shield. _

“Hey bugger!” Hook calls, stabbing it in the side. He was trying to get its attention like an absolute idiot. “Leave her alone,” he demands, hitting it once more. 

Unfortunately, the monster was finding him just as annoying as she was, and turned its attention back towards him. Emma could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Hook didn’t have a shield and as quick as he was on his feet, Emma feared what would happen if he made a single misstep. 

She had to find its weak weak spot and  _ fast. _

Just as it moves closer to the stupid pirate, she sees it. At it’s leg, an opening between the scales, revealing soft flesh. Emma doesn’t hesitate. She stabs at the weak point, making the creature shriek in agony. 

It doesn’t last long before it vanishes into black smoke, like everything else in this godforsaken place. But her heart is still beating wildly out of her chest. 

“Swan?” Hook asks, sheathing his blade. “You alright?” She gives a simple nod.

“Fine, Hook; what were you—” she starts, well prepared to lay into him for his stupidity, when he circles her wrist with his hook. She watches him uncap a flask from his pocket with his mouth and pour it on her wrist. 

It  _ stings. _

_ “ _ What the hell is that!” she cries out, trying to pull her hand away. His grip is firm but gentle. 

“Rum,” he offers as an explanation. “And a bloody waste of it.” She glances over and sees a long cut along her palm. It’s bleeding sluggishly as he maneuvers a scarf around the wound. She glances at him and the way he ties it with one hand and his mouth. 

“Sorry to be a waste of rum,” she mutters under breath, rolling her eyes at his satisfied smirk.

“Don’t be, Swan. I have barrels of the stuff,” he assures her taking a swig of his flask. “Never a problem that can’t be solved with a little rum.” He even offers it off to her. 

Emma takes it. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a drink. She tried to avoid drinking at taverns, and never felt safe enough to let down her guard with everyone watching her and her crew. She also tried to avoid drinking in front of Henry. “You know that my name isn’t Swan, right? It’s Emma.” She takes a long gulp of the burning liquid. 

“And you believe my mum had the foresight to name me Hook?” he quips back. 

“You didn’t exactly offer your name when we met,” she reminds him.

“Fair,” he agrees. “You didn’t catch me on my finest day,” he says, scratching behind his head nervously. “Killian Jones,” he offers as she hands him back the bottle. 

“Well, Jones,” Emma says, looking past him to the other side of the room. There was a large chest sitting neatly on an altar. It was a prize if she’d ever seen one. “Looks to me like we earned ourselves a bit of treasure.” 

Emma can tell that Killian is excited when he opens it. There’s a boyish smirk on his lips and excitement in his eyes.

“Do you think this is what we came here for?” Emma wonders. Killian shakes his head. 

“Shrines sometimes have treasure, either lifted from those who failed in reaching the end, or totems to what they represent,” he informs her as they look into the box.

Emma expected gold and treasure, instead she sees...a piece of wood?

“It’s a boomerang!” Killian explains, examining the weapon. She picks it up, admiring its weight. It seems pretty heavy for a boomerang. “And it appears to be enchanted.” He observes. She’s never held one of those before, but she always imagined them to be lighter than this.

She notices something from the corner of her eye, moments before Killian calls out her name. A monster had snuck up on them, blue claws aimed for her blind spot.

She hears Killian draw his weapon as she lunges at the beast, hitting it on the head with the weapon in her hand—the boomerang. Once, twice, three times until she hears it crackle and the dark magic that brought it to existence dissolves it into nothingness.

“Bloody hell,” Killian curses, looking at her, holding the boomerang like a club. “That is not how you use that weapon, Swan; the boomerang should be thrown to hit an opponent on its blindside, then to be caught as it always returns...“

Emma stops listening, armed with her boomerang, ready to go beat some monsters up and get through this as fast as possible.

“Bloody hell, that thing is a delicate work of art!” Killian yells as he realizes that she’s serious about beating every monster to death with the wooden item. He did say to stop using her sword as a club, after all.

Is she amused at Killian’s exasperated sigh as she clubs another creature to death with the boomerang? Absolutely. 

The rest of the temple ends up being just a lot of opportunity to throw her boomerang, which she is absolutely terrible at. It keeps hitting the wrong thing when she needs it to.

Mostly Killian, if she’s being honest. But it’s completely unintentional!

However, they do eventually get to the main hall. She can tell because she can feel the heat of the volcano through her shoes and she is sweating buckets just standing near the final door.

“You know there’s going to be some big creature at the end,” she tells Killian. 

There’s a loud roar.

“Told you.”

//

Sunlight surprises Emma as they open up the last door. They’d been in a dark, humid temple for so long that the sunlight surprised her.

What’s less surprising is the fact that they are on the top of the active volcano.

“Bloody hell,” Killian curses, glancing around at their surroundings. And he’s not kidding. There are large towering rock walls and a cave dug into the far wall. She can feel Killian tense beside her as another roar echoes through the sky. 

“What the hell is that thing?” Emma asks. Because she’s not exactly looking forward to facing whatever is making those sounds.

“Nothing good,” he confirms. It lets loose another roar and then flies out of the cave and descends on them before Emma can even think to move. 

She curses under her breath as a stream of fire lets loose over their heads. 

It’s a fucking dragon.

Larger than them, black and purple scales glimmer above them and it’s flying. She practically feels those large green eyes glare at her. They are cold and menacing and...sad. Something very sad hits her core.

Emma doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t know what to do as it lets out another deafening roar and descends down right at her. Emma considers raising her sword, but her hand is shaking and she can’t move.

Thankfully, Killian isn’t as stunned as she is. His hook finds itself on her arm and he pulls hard. She feels the tip dig into her side as she stumbles to get her feet underneath her. The dragon lands right where she once stood, turning around and looking for them, looking for  _ her. _

_ “ _ Come on, Swan,” Killian says. His eyes never leave the dragon, but she can practically feel him smirk at her. “Keep your wits about you. We’re both going to need them if we hope to beat this thing.”

It calms her. She doesn’t know why, but it does. It reminds her she’s not alone this time. 

The dragon lets out another frustrated roar and thrashes its tail at him. They dodge again, another narrow miss. They turn the corner, trying to find something they can use for cover but the clearing is flat and there’s absolutely nothing protecting them from this creature.

“This is going to be interesting,” Killian says with a glare in the dragon’s direction. “Any ideas Swan?” Emma doesn’t know.

Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the thing starts flying. She can see it hovering over them, watching their movements.

“What do you think it’s doing?” Emma asks. Her answer is almost immediately answered because it lets out another deafening roar and swoops down at them. She can hear Killian curse as he barely misses being sliced by sharp talons.

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to play with your food?” Kilian shouts angrily at it. It pays him no attention. Instead, it chooses to blow fire at them as its next move.

“We can’t keep this up. We need to go on the offense,” Killian growls under his breath there’s soot on both their faces from yet again nearly being burned alive. 

“We need to get rid of those wings, it’s the only chance we have.” Emma realizes. Because running around out in the open was going to get them killed.

_ There has to be a way out of this. _

“The boomerang,” Emma says, grabbing it from her bag. “They gave it to us for a reason, right? Do you think it’s what we need to beat that thing?” Emma asks.

“Are you telling me you think they gave us the key to their defeat?” Killian asks, a brow rose in disbelief. It sounds absolutely crazy.

A blast of fire heads their way and Emma knows they need to try.

“Only one way to find out,” Emma says, moving quickly to avoid the fire. “Hey! Lizard!” she shouts waving her hands over her head. She hears the dragon growl and unfurl its wings, planning yet another dive bomb towards her. 

Then she throws the boomerang, and it’s  _ fast.  _ She hears the dragon cry before she sees it make contact as the wooden weapon rips through one of the dragon’s wings before returning back to her hand. Emma watches in amazement as the dragon crashes down to the earth cowering in pain, before it’s eyes flash back to her, and it’s  _ angry _ . 

“Bloody hell.” She hears Killian curse besides her. She has a moment’s notice before it leaps using its large limbs, reaching out and trying to claw at her face. She runs right and Killian runs left to avoid the attack. The fact that they're separated fills Emma with unease. 

But she can’t let that stop her. She watches as it tries to take flight, but the bleeding wound in its wing prevents it from doing so, it howls in pain as it flaps its one good wing. It gives her the opportunity she’s looking for, so she tosses the boomerang again and it hits its mark once more. The other wing is now out of commision as well.

_ Now what? _

Emma’s not sure. She’s not sure how in the world they’re going to defeat it even if it is on their level. But that doesn’t stop Kilian from trying, because as it is distracted trying to claw at her, she notices the pirate stab at its side with his blade, but the dragon barely even registers he’s there.

_ Those scales are heavily armored, just like the dog creature from earlier,  _ Emma realizes; she sees Killian meet her gaze as she blocks the dragon’s swipe with her shield this time. 

_ They need to find a weak spot.  _ Killian gives a small nod in agreement with the thought they both seem to share. 

Somehow Emma thinks it’s not going to be that easy.

_ “Perhaps I can be of some assistance?”  _ The sudden voice in her ear makes her jump in surprise. She recognizes the voice, but is taken aback by its appearance.

“Kayto?” she hisses, another slash making contact with her shield. The last thing she expected was for the ghost to appear now of all times. “I’m a little busy right now,” she mutters under her breath.

_ “I know how to defeat her, _ ” he says, a glowing sprite dancing beside her, almost in excitement. “ _ I know how to make sure she is safe. _ ” Emma glances towards the ghost with uncertainty. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with putting their lives in the hands of a ghost. 

“How?” Emma asks, watching as it turns its attention back to Killian and his fruitless attempts to stab at its side.

_ “I can see him, I can see him watching us. His true eye is showing. He’s afraid. He’s afraid of you. _ ”

“Afraid of—” But Emma is cut off as the glowing blue spirit pops away towards the dragon, then in the same eerie light that Kato appeared in, she could see it; a large golden eye on the dragon’s stomach, She could see it, looking at her, looking at Killian.

_ I’m watching you.  _

Emma shudders at the voice she hears. It certainly is not Kayto. But she can’t think about that now. They have an opportunity and Emma is not going to waste it.

“Killian!” Emma shouts. She doesn’t need to say more as Killian instantly moves, gaining some distance. He strikes again at the dragon, a simple slash to get it angry. 

“You better know what you're doing!” Killian shouts. The dragon roars and swipes. The sound of Killian hitting the ground echoes in her head, or maybe it’s her own hammering pulse, but the dragon turns, the eye opens like a great big target.

_ Let this work, please let this work.  _ Emma silently pleads to anyone who will listen and rears back, sword clutched between her hands and she throws her sword as hard as she can towards the center of the dragon.

The sword finds its mark: dead center of the eye. 

The dragon buckles as cracks of light start spreading through its whole form. It makes an unnatural shriek as it disintegrates before her very eyes. She lets out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

It was dead. It was over. 

“ _ Thank you, _ ” Kayto says softly, she looks over her shoulder and sees him, only for a second. A short pudgy man with kind eyes and a feeling of peace washes over her.  _ “Thank you for letting me fulfill my life's purpose, bringing her home...” _

Emma knows this time, she knows that he has found peace. 

“We did it, Killian!” she calls out. She can still feel her pounding heart, the adrenaline running through her veins. She’s never  _ done  _ this before. “We did it!” she exclaims again.

She feels on fire, like she could conquer the world. She doesn’t feel like that lost girl with a destiny she can’t control, or a failure of a mother who can’t even save her son.

_ For once, she feels as heroic as everyone else describes her to be. _

“Killian?” she repeats, looking around.

He’s still where the dragon had knocked him down. He isn’t getting up. He isn’t even moving. “Killian!” she shouts, running over to him. Emma falls to her knees at his side. He’s face down, his sword thrown to the side, and he isn’t moving.

Slowly, Emma moves him, turning him onto his back to see if he’s breathing.

He has to be breathing. She doesn’t know what to do if he isn’t.

He groans as she shifts him, face scrunched up in pain. She lets out a sigh of relief.

Killian’s eyes pop open with a louder groan, looking right at her. “Hey beautiful,” he says with a pained grin.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Killian smirks. She rolls her eyes, wondering why she was ever worried in the first place. He was too stubborn to die.

She gives him a hand though, which he takes gratefully, and helps him back on his feet. He sways slightly, but seems steady. They turn back towards the dragon and see it disintegrating into golden sand.

Suddenly, a thought occurs to her.

“Where’s the treasure?” she asks. Killian looks confused at first, but then realization hits him.

“I don’t know,” he admits, turning back towards the pile. He staggers over to it, obviously having something bruised in his ribs, and runs his hand through the gold sand. “Do you think this could be it?” he asks.

Emma furrows her brows. “Sand? If that's the treasure that we were hoping for, I am extremely disappointed,” she says dryly. “Like, doesn’t this Ocean Queen know that you can find sand at any beach?” she asks.

Killian shakes his head. “It’s not sand, love; feel it,” he insists. She does, and she knows he’s right: it feels strange in her hand, like metal, but not. It’s cold to the touch despite the blistering heat. 

It also came from a dragon, so there’s that.

“Fine. If this is the treasure, how do you suppose we carry it?” she asks.

As Killian contemplates that very question, Emma sees the pile begin to move. She pulls Killian back and grabs her sword laying besides the pirate. She thought they had won. She thought it was over.

The pile moves again and a monster doesn’t pop out of it; instead, a woman does. Emma doesn’t drop her guard. 

She turns towards them and she looks a bit of a mess. Her hair is blonde, but frazzled; her gown is mixtures of blacks and greys that must have once been beautiful, but now were reduced to rags. She was thin, but had blazing green eyes.

“Oh thank heavens; which of you is the Savior?” the woman asks looking towards Killian expectantly. Emma feels her whole body freeze.

“Savior?” Killian repeats. The woman looks at her, eyes still blazing, as if they could melt right through her.

They look familiar.

“How about you, darling?” she says almost sarcastically towards Emma. “Are you the Savior?”

Emma doesn’t know what to say. She definitely doesn’t want to say the truth. Emma’s not even sure she knows what the truth is.

“How about instead of questioning us, love, you tell us where the treasure is?” Killian says, sauntering forward, drawing the woman’s eyes away from Emma.

The woman looks unimpressed by him, her hand twitching as if she wishes to wave him away.

“There is no treasure,” Emma realizes suddenly. “And you’re the dragon.” The eyes are identical to the ones that almost burned her alive. “This whole temple was to keep you locked away.” The woman smiles slyly.

“So my instincts were correct; you are the Savior, darling. Really it’s nothing to be ashamed about,” she insists. “It’s really something special,” she adds. Emma rolls her eyes. 

“There is no Savior here,” she says sternly. At least not one who had any interest in saving anyone but her son.

The woman’s eyes narrow towards her.

“Fine then; let me introduce myself properly. First impressions are important,” she adds. Her hand waves a glittering dark purple. The sand at their feet turns the same color and swirls around them. 

For a moment, all Emma can see is purple and all she can feel is power. Raw energy burning bright, energy boiling beneath her skin.

It’s gone as abruptly as it started, leaving both of them rather breathless and mystified.

Gone are the tattered robes, as she appears in a brilliant dark purple gown, resembling scales if she looks closely; a scepter green and glowing in her hand; a crown topped on her head that resembles the horns of the beast. “I am Maleficent, Purple Fairy of Power,” she introduces. “You have freed me from my prison, and for that I thank you,” she says. “If you ever need my help, all you need to do is speak my name. Now…” she continues, trailing off, turning her back on them. “I have personal matters I must attend to.” 

“That’s it?” Emma calls out. If she was the goal of this whole mess, she must know something, anything about finding Henry. “What do you know about the Demon Ship?” she asks, rushing forward to grab the woman’s arm. Her dress burns her before she can touch her, making Emma jump back.

The woman glares at her.

“What more do you expect?” she snaps. “You aren’t even the Savior, so why should you be worth more of my time?” she sneers, then vanishes in a puff of purple.

**/**

Emma fumes as they head back down. Moving slowly to avoid jostling their aching bodies from the whole ordeal, they eventually reach the bottom of the mountain and see Lily’s house.

They are surprised when they see Maleficent standing outside the door peering through the window but not moving.

“Didn’t expect you to be spending your precious time here of all places,” Killian snarks, stepping in front of Emma. 

“What I spend my time doing is none of your concern,” she snaps, but there’s less bite to her words. Her attention is obviously elsewhere.

“Why are you here?” Emma asks. “Because it’s obviously not to actually help us since we freed you.”

“Only the Savior could have freed me, but since you’re not the Savor, I owe you nothing,” she says automatically, glaring her way.

“Then why are you here?”

The fairy doesn’t answer.

“This is your home, isn’t it?” Emma realizes. “Kayto mentioned he served someone, promised to protect Lily for someone.”

She glances her way. “I didn’t want Lily to be alone,” she says softly. “She’s not a fairy; she won’t have the same protection like the others do. She would have been all alone, defenseless…” she trails off. It’s then that Emma notices what can be seen through the window. She could see Lily cleaning up her house, talking happily with Tink. 

“Does she know? That the Fairy of Power is her mother?” Killian asks gently. Maleficent shakes her head.

“My power was fading fast after she was born. The Evil started taking root in the island and I couldn’t escape its grasp…but I put the rest of my power into keeping my daughter safe. Kayto’s mother was my dearest friend, one of my favorite devotee. I ensured that she’d be raised by good people, that she’d always have a home and a friend, until my power finally faded today.” She looks up at them, at Emma.

“Had the Savior not been here, my daughter would have died alone, never knowing who she was.”

“Well what are you waiting for?” Killian asks. “Go see your daughter.”

But Emma knows it’s not that simple. It’s not that easy telling someone everything they know is a lie.

“Tell her you love her,” Emma says suddenly. “Tell her you never meant to leave. Tell her she will never be alone again.” Maleficent looks at her and a silent understanding passes between them.

The woman goes inside. Killian doesn’t follow, and neither does she.

“Were you joking before?” Emma asks. “About having a whole barrel of rum on your ship?”

Because after a day like today, Emma really wants a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LassLuna on tumblr.


End file.
